Waste plastic streams typically contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Through a pyrolysis process, waste plastics can be converted to gas and liquid products. These liquid products may contain paraffins, isoparaffins, olefins, naphthenes and aromatic components along with organic chlorides in hundreds of ppm. Pyrolysis liquids have a high olefin content and can be used as a feedstock for steam crackers partly replacing naphtha used in these units. Typically, the boiling end point of pyrolysis oil can be much higher than typical diesel fraction boiling end point. In order to feed the pyrolysis oil to steam cracker, it is necessary to dechlorinate the feed to reach very low concentrations of chlorine, saturate olefins in the liquid and have a boiling end point low enough to avoid possible fouling and corrosion in the process.
There is a need in the art for cost effective and carbon efficient processes to accomplish recycling of chlorine-containing plastic waste streams.